Sardul Singh Caveeshar
Encyclopedia
Sardul Singh Caveeshar (1886–1963) was an India
n newspaper editor, and a major figure in the Indian independence movement
. He was born in Amritsar
.
, Caveeshar began his public career in 1913, when he launched the English-language newspaper
Sikh Review. An early article in the Sikh Review criticized the demolition of an external city wall during the construction of New Delhi
, as the wall had been part of a historic Sikh gurdwara
. This led to widespread Sikh
agitation until the outbreak of the First World War, at which point that particular issue was considered to be of lessened priority. After the war Caveeshar renewed his calls for action, with the result that he was expelled from Delhi
. He moved to Lahore and began another newspaper, the New Herald. In 1919, he was arrested and imprisoned for writing against the Rowlatt Act
.
, and imprisoned for four years for having written about a massacre of Sikh reformists.
. In 1935, he openly opposed the Congress's participation in the Government of India Act
, and in 1937 chose to resign his membership in the party after they accepted office in the provinces where they had earned a majority.
's All India Forward Bloc
faction; when Bose left India in 1941, Caveeshar became the Bloc's president. As a result, he was arrested, and imprisoned for four years.
. At its conference, Caveeshar was elected president of Forward Bloc (Ruiker). Soon thereafter, as Ruiker's party dwindled, Caveeshar retired from active politics.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n newspaper editor, and a major figure in the Indian independence movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. He was born in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
.
Education
Educated in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Caveeshar began his public career in 1913, when he launched the English-language newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
Sikh Review. An early article in the Sikh Review criticized the demolition of an external city wall during the construction of New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, as the wall had been part of a historic Sikh gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
. This led to widespread Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
agitation until the outbreak of the First World War, at which point that particular issue was considered to be of lessened priority. After the war Caveeshar renewed his calls for action, with the result that he was expelled from Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. He moved to Lahore and began another newspaper, the New Herald. In 1919, he was arrested and imprisoned for writing against the Rowlatt Act
Rowlatt Act
The Rowlatt Act was a law passed by the British in colonial India in March 1919, indefinitely extending "emergency measures" enacted during the First World War in order to control public unrest and root out conspiracy...
.
call to rebuild
In 1921, he issued a public call for 100 Sikh volunteers to rebuild the gurdwara's demolished wall, at the cost of their lives if need be. 700 volunteers (including Caveeshar himself) turned out. However, before they could leave Lahore for Delhi, word arrived that the Delhi city government had rebuilt the wall. The next month, he was arrested, charged with seditionSedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
, and imprisoned for four years for having written about a massacre of Sikh reformists.
Congress
In 1933, he became acting president of the Congress after his predecessor was arrested for participating in civil disobedienceCivil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
. In 1935, he openly opposed the Congress's participation in the Government of India Act
Government of India Act
The term Government of India Act refers to any one of a series of Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to regulate the government of British India, in particular:...
, and in 1937 chose to resign his membership in the party after they accepted office in the provinces where they had earned a majority.
Subhash Chandra Bose
In 1939, he joined Subhash Chandra BoseSubhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose known by name Netaji was an Indian revolutionary who led an Indian national political and military force against Britain and the Western powers during World War II. Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in...
's All India Forward Bloc
All India Forward Bloc
The All India Forward Bloc is a leftwing nationalist political party in India. It emerged as a faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. The party re-established as an independent political party after the independence of India...
faction; when Bose left India in 1941, Caveeshar became the Bloc's president. As a result, he was arrested, and imprisoned for four years.
Split
When the All India Forward Bloc split in 1948, soon after it had been reorganized, Sardul Singh Caveeshar sided with the anti-Marxist group led by R.S. RuikerRamchandra Sakharam Ruikar
Ramchandra Sakharam Ruikar was a pioneer of the Indian labor movement. He was born on January 8, 1895 in Rui, Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He went graduated from college from Pune and Nagpur with a masters in history and economics. He created a legal service in Nagpur, where he founded the Nagpur Textile...
. At its conference, Caveeshar was elected president of Forward Bloc (Ruiker). Soon thereafter, as Ruiker's party dwindled, Caveeshar retired from active politics.